For all the reasons we’ve talked about many times, national horse-race polls tend to be of limited predictive value. As is the case in the general election, the nominating process is a state-by-state affair. A candidate can soar in national polls, but if he or she is trailing where it counts, those national leads are […]
As has become increasingly clear, John McCain has a habit of just “winging it” on the campaign trail. Confronted with a question, he just says the very first thing that pops into his head. A few weeks ago, when a voter in Florida asked about Bush’s intention to keep U.S. troops in Iraq for another […]
To hear the White House tell it, Congress’ reluctance to immediately give the president all of the surveillance powers he wants is not only the most pressing matter on the nation’s policy agenda, it’s currently putting all of us at risk of a catastrophic terrorist attack. But if that’s true, why can’t the White House […]
Today’s edition of quick hits. * More discouraging economic news: “Sales of existing homes fell for the sixth straight month in January, dropping to the slowest sales pace on record. Median home prices were also down and many analysts predicted further price declines in the months ahead given high levels of unsold homes…. The median […]
Time magazine’s Mark Halperin offered an interesting list today: a 16-point guide on what, in Halperin’s opinion, John McCain’s campaign can do to tear Barack Obama down. As Halperin sees it, McCain’s campaign is “staffed with savvy, experienced operatives who have closely watched the rise of Obama, and they have learned from Clinton’s failure to […]
He may be a 25-year veteran of Washington politics, and he may be a two-time leading GOP presidential candidate, but John McCain apparently still needs to work a bit on his “message discipline” problem. John McCain said Monday that to win the White House he must convince a war-weary country that U.S. policy in Iraq […]
It never struck me as especially complicated. Once there was a clear Democratic presidential nominee, the Republican National Committee would label him or her weak on terror, liberal (on everything), and desperate to raise your taxes. Throw in some references to 9/11, a few pictures of menacing-looking Middle Easterners, and a dash of immigrant bashing, […]
The preferred conservative anti-Obama attack of the hour seems to be go after his patriotism, and right on cue, the NYT’s Bill Kristol devotes his column this week to exactly what the Republican National Convention and Fox News would like to see. Last October, a reporter asked Barack Obama why he had stopped wearing the […]
Just how silly is the Silly Season? Consider the story that has quickly come to dominate the political world’s attention this morning and this afternoon. Drudge is running this report, alongside a photo of Barack Obama visiting Africa and wearing Somali garb. The headline reads, “Clinton staffers circulate ‘dressed’ Obama.” With a week to go […]
Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers: * Hoping to find a line of attack that will resonate, Hillary Clinton gave sarcasm a try on the campaign trail yesterday: “Framing Obama as both a deceiver and a dream weaver, Clinton […]